Four “Bright World of Metals“ trade fairs are switching to a three-year cycle

Four “Bright World of Metals“ trade fairs are switching to a three-year cycle

GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST are taking place in Düsseldorf from 26. to 30. June 2018

GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST are switching to a three-year cycle – the next time that the leading international trade fairs for foundry technology, metallurgy, thermo process equipment and castings will be taking place in Düsseldorf is from Tuesday, 26. to Saturday, 30. June 2018. In taking this decision, Messe Düsseldorf is responding to the changes in the innovation cycles within the industry.

Messe Düsseldorf Director Joachim Schäfer: “Trade fairs are a reflection of the markets and at the same time provide an insight into industrial trends and developments. As a partner to the industry and in close liaison with its associations, it is our mission to react to changes and to create the appropriate platforms for good business and cutting-edge innovations.”

There has been widespread approval of the switch to a different cycle in the sectors covered by the event too. Dr Ioannis Ioannidis, CEO of Oskar Frech GmbH & Co. KG: “With digitisation and the rapid changes experienced in networked business life, trendsetting activities are becoming increasingly important. It is essential that the leading international trade fair GIFA makes a major contribution here by taking place at an appropriate interval. The new 3-year cycle for the “Bright World of Metals” is right in line with this development.”

In the course of their history, the 4 leading trade fairs have adapted to the changes in their industries’ cycles on several occasions: GIFA, which premiered in Düsseldorf in 1956, was initially held every six years before it switched to a five-year cycle in 1974 and then to a four-year cycle at the beginning of the millennium. THERMPROCESS has taken place at the same interval since 1974, while METEC was added in 1979 and NEWCAST made up the quartet in 2003.

Dr Peter Dahlmann, who is a member of the Executive Board of the steel institute VDEh, thinks that a three-year cycle for the “Bright World of Metals” corresponds exactly to the present innovation cycle in the industries covered by the event: “There has been a substantial change in the entire process chain in the steel metallurgy industry in recent years. Many industrial customers, such as the automotive industry, are very innovative – like the steel industry – and need appropriately innovative technologies and products to manufacture their new products. This makes it particularly important for both suppliers and customers to have an outstanding presentation platform at which it is possible to obtain a prompt insight into the newest innovations and future developments. The same is true of the trade conference “European Steel Technology and Application Days (ESTAD)” that is held alongside METEC and presents the latest steel materials in numerous technical lectures.”

Horst August Linn, Director of Linn High Term, adds: “We are extremely pleased about the shortening of the GMTN cycle. It takes account of the increasingly fast speed of innovation in the foundry and thermo process industry and enables us to intensify and continue the ongoing interaction with customers, partners and suppliers at shorter intervals in a context that is unique anywhere in the world.”

The four trade fairs produced exceptionally good results when they were held most recently: 78,000 visitors from more than 120 different countries came to Düsseldorf for GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST to experience what the 2,214 exhibitors had to offer from 16. to 20. June this year. The atmosphere in the halls was excellent: the trade visitors were extremely impressed by the presentation of complete plants and machines and even placed numerous orders. The exhibitors were delighted about the business transactions concluded with customers from all over the world. The trade fairs were once again considerably more international than at the previous event, with 56 per cent of the visitors and 51 per cent of the exhibitors coming from outside Germany this time.

GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST are separate trade fairs that stand in each case for themselves and their markets, but only present a complete picture of the “Bright World of Metals” together. The range presented at GIFA covers the entire market for foundry plants and equipment, die-casting machines and melting operations. The major plant manufacturers are a key feature of METEC. Exhibitors there are in particular suppliers of plant and equipment for iron making, steel making and non-ferrous metal production and for casting and pouring molten steel as well as rolling and steel mills. Industrial furnaces, industrial heat treatment plants and thermal processes are the main emphases of the exhibits at THERMPROCESS. NEWCAST concentrates on the presentation of castings.